Switchboard for telephone or like exchanges.



No. 685,846. Patented Nov. 5, |90I.

H. F. JONES.`

SWITCHBDARD FOR TELEPHONE 0R LIKE EXCHANGES.

(Application led. Nav. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheei I.

- ww t@ No. 685,846. Patented Nov. 5, |901. H. F. JUNES.

SWITCHBOARD FOR TELEPHONE 0R LIKE EXCHANGES.

(Application ed Nov. 6, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

llllllllllllllal Illm|lll|l EQ l .IIIII L r d f No. 685,846. Patented Nov. 5, |901.

H. F. JONES. SWITCHBUARD FR TLPHONE 0R LIKE EXCHANGES.

(Application led Nov. 6, 1900.`

(No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3;

THE mmm: mns co.. PHoTnuTqc.. WASHINGTON. b. c. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD FEILD JONES, OF VVI-LSON, NORTH CAROLNA.

SWITCHBOARD Foa TELEPHONE ovR LlKE EXCHANGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 685,846, dated November 5, 1901. Application iiled November 6, 1900. 'Serial No. 35.640. (No model.)

son, in the countyof Wilson and State of Northr- Oarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switchboards for Tele-` phone or Like Exchanges, of which the following is a specification.

The following description read in connection with the drawings will enable any one skilled in the artto which my invention relates to understand its nature and to practice it in the form in which I prefer to employ it; but it will be understood that my invention is'not limited to the precise form herein illustrated and specified, as various modifications and equivalentV changes may be made and adapted by the skilled constructor to carry out my invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in perspective one of my combined spring-jacks and annnnciator looking from the rear, the back board F being broken away, showing the several spring plates or arms which the plug and balls actua-te. Fig. 2 is an interior side view of the same, one of the side plates being removed and the faceplate being shown in central vertical longitudinal section and shows the relative positions of the endless ball-raceway, magnet and armature, line spring-arms, and operator-s listening spring-arms. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line :c of Fig. 2, the side plate of the frame which was removed in Fig. 2 being restored, showing the positions of the line, generators, and operators listening spring contact-arms in their normal positions, the line spring-armsj being shown as normally in circuit with the annunciatorcontactsj, the operator-s listening springarms being out of contact with the line, which is their normal position. In dotted lines the line spring-arms are shown spread' by the passing ball and in contact with the generator spring-arms g g. Fig. 4; is a View similar.

to Fig. 3, showing the plug inserted to its full extent to connect with the line spring-arms and as'liaving pushed the spreader S against the operators listening spring-arms to contact said spring-arms with the line springarms which extend back of the frame. Fig. 5 is a front view of my combined annunciator and spring-jack, showing the registering device, a portion of the registering-casing being broken away to show its operation. In dotted lines the register is shown as pushed tothe right, so as to be unaected by the rocker-arm. Fig. 6 is a section of the same taken on the line yy of fFig. `is a detail showing the ratchet as uplifted bythe rocker-arm. Fig. S is a perspective view of my combined spring-jack and annunciator looking from the front, a portion of the said plate being broken away and showing the manner of operating the rocker-arm by the passing ball. Fig. 9 shows an ordinary switchboard-plug fitted with a spring flange or collar on the inner end of the handle. Fig. lO shows a plug similar to that shown in Fig. S, the spring Harige or collar being of greater diameter. Fig. 1l is a diagrammatic view of the spring-jack, showing the circuit connections therewith ot' the line, the generator,-

the annunciator, and the operators listeningtelephone.

My indicator or annunciator device, as shown in Figs. l and 2, consists of a frame or casing A, having an endless interior passage or ball-raceway B, with a bottom horizontal arm b', a rearward upwardly-inclined arm b2,

and frontwardly downwardly inclined arm b3. A Jface-plate O is secured to the front of the frame and has a vertical bore or passage b4, which forms a continuation of the ball-raceway and connects its upper arm b3 and its lower arm b. Centrally longitudinally of the frame and between the upper and lower arms of the raceway is a cavity containing an elec-A tromagnet D, whose armature cZ is at its forward end hinged below at d' and projects above normally into the path of the non-conducting balls or drop-signals b b b, which move in the raceway B. At its hinged end the armature has a lug d2 projecting into thelower horizontal arm of the raceway for a purpose hereinafter explained. held at the forward end of the vupper arm b3 of the endless raceway by the projecting top of the armature d and-another ball is normally held at the bottom of the vertical arm b4 of the raceway, the bottom of the raceway at this point being slightly inclined and keeps the ball from being jarred back. Whena subscriber rings up the exchange, the electro- One ball is normally` it falls and rests on the ball normally held atthe bottom of said passage and against a glass window c' and constitutes a perfect visibleappearing signal, which the operator may instantly and plainly see through said-window.

The plug socket or orifice o2 is located just below the -window c' and just in liue'with. the lower arm of the raceway. Upon the appearance of the ball at the Window the exchange operator inserts one of a pair of plugs into the orifice ciand pushes the ball normally` held just behind it; but it does not dislodge the ball just dropped, as such ball is held up by the plug in readiness to drop and take the .place ofthe ball dislodgedfby the plug upon the withdrawal of the plug. The plug continues to push therst ball back through the lower arm of the raceway until the ball meets the balls retained inv the incline. pushes these'balls up the incline and lifts the top one, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, into the upper arm of the -raceway, which is inclined downward. This ball now rolls down toward the front and is caught by the projecting top of the armature d and retained, as was the ball which-preceded it, in the raceway. The insertion of the plug makes electhe outer sides of the frame and run parallel trical connections, as hereinafter explained, and enables `the operator -to ascertain the number of the subscriber desired. The operator then inserts the other of the pair ofu connecting-plugs into the plug-orifice of an identical combined annunciator and spring-'- jack belonging'to the line of the telephone tov be called up and establishes the circuit between the twosubscribers. -Ininsertingthe plug for `the telephone which is flcallled up it is necessary (since the magnet would not be energized) to mechanically.throw'down a. `ball' to be in' readiness to take they place of 'the ball which theplug dislodged. I accomplishthis by the Aprovision of an arm or lug d2, projecting from the lower end ofthe ar-l mature into the path of theball dislodged by the plug. and mechanically forces its armature toward the magnet, and thus dislodges the ball which is normally held atthe top of the vertical passage b4, so vthat when the plugis `withdrawn lsaid ball may fall and lodge behind thel plughole in readiness for the next insertion of the plug. The plugbeing of less diameter than the balls will notaffect or operate the lower projecting arm cl2 of the armature except through the instrumentality of the ball. Thus` It now.

fasten them in the slots. :the generator spring-arms normally stand jseparated from the line spring-armsjjby The ball in passing lifts said lugk rg at g g', making a wiping contact.

ing bends orshouldersjj projecting through the openings e e into the horizontal arm of the raceway. The generator spring-arms g g are fastened to ythe frame and lie at right angles to the line spring-arms and on their outer sides, as seenin Fig. l. The line springarms extend out back of the frame at either side thereof. At the back of the frame and between the line spring-arms are opeators listening spring-arms. Between the operators spring-arms is a spreader device S, having a stern s projecting through a bore into the lower arm of the` raceway into the path of the plug. A small pin on the spreaderstem moves in a slot and prevents the stem from turning. Balls or rolls s' on the outer end of the spreader make its movement between the operators spring-arms easy. One line spring-arm and one operators listening spring-arm are fastened in each slot and are insulated from each other at their point of fastening by a separating and insulating plate t', Fig. 3. Screws vor -oolts t" securely The free ends g of only a little distance, so that the plug pushes lthe ball between the projecting shouldersj j of the line spring-arms, and spreading them forms the contact at the free end g of the vgenerator spring-arm g.

The free endsjij2 ofthe line spriu g-arms normally contact with the annunciator-contacts jsjs, and this contact 'is broken and held so as long as a ball or Vplug is between the projecting shoulders j of the line spring-arms, Fig. 3. The ball is of greater diameter than the plug, and when it is pushed 'between the -projecting shouldersjj of the line spring-arms it contacts them with the :er 1era'tor spring-arm g (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.) rlhe diameter of the plug is not sufficient to maintain this contact, but is sufficient to break the contactsof the linegspring-arms with the annunciatorcontacts-fj?. (See Fig. 4'.) "The line-wires "are fastened to the line spring-arms jj, and the generator-wires are fastened to thegenerator spring-arms g g, and the operators wires are fastened tothe operators yspringarms h h in any suitable manner and lead thence to the usual vwires at-the-back'ofl the switchboard.

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The annunciator devices stand normally.

as shown in Fig. 2, a ball being retained by the armature at the top of the vertical arm b4 of the raceway and another ball at the bottom just behind the plug-orifice c2. The subscribers line is in circuit with the annunciator-coil at js ja through the short wires L7'4, which lead in through holes in the side plates to the magnet, Fig. l, and when the calling subscriber rings the magnet is energized and releases its retained ball, which drops down the vertical arm` b4 ot' the raceway and lodges upon the bottom ball in the position shown in light dotted lines in Fig. 2 and is a perfect` appearing signal to be seen through the window c in the face-plate. The operator then takes one of a pair of connecting-plugs and inserts it in the socket to answer the caller. The plug pushes the ball back and holds the ball just dropped up and continuing to push the ball formerly held on the incline just behind the plug-orifice c2, which ball on arriving at the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 will spread the line spring-armsjj and make contact thereof with the generator spring-arms g g, the result of which will be a ring on the telephone of lthe subscriber who has called. This may be undesirable; but as the length of-ringing depends upon the length of time the ball takes in passing over the projecting shoulders jj of the line spring-arms it is obvious that a quick insertion of the plug would only cause a` slight ring, which I do not think would be very disagreeable and the objection to which would be obviated al-' together if the calling subscriber kept his receiver on hook until such slight ringing has ceased and which can be advantageously employed as an automatic return signal, and thus obviate the holding of the receiver to the ear, always tedious when Waiting for operator. When the plug, which is of less diameter than the ball, pushes the ball past the rear ends of the projecting shoulders jj of the line spring-arms, said arms will spring toward the plug, and a hump Z on one of the line spring-arms will contact with a terminal contact-surface Z2 on the plug, and a hump Z on the other line spring-arm will contact with another terminal contact-surface Z3 on the plug. It is evident that no generator-current can come in contact with the plug while the ball is ringing the telephone of` a subscriber wanted or calling The plug is pushed farther in and presses back the stem s of the spreader S, which bears against the operators spring-arms 71,` 7L and presses them out against the line springarms as seen in Fig. 4, to bridge the line, and thereby establish communication between the submature.

scriber calling and the exchange operator. The operator then ascertains the number of the telephone with whichv theV calling subscriber wants communication. When the operator releases the pressure on the plug, the springfarms h 7L will bear against the rolls or balls on the spreader and pinch it back to its normal position, pushing the plugback with it to the position shown in Fig. 3. The insertion of the plug has placed another ball in the upper inclined arm b3 of the raceway, and said ball, rolling` forward, is retained by the armature, as before explained, which restores the signaling mechanism. 'Having as# certained the numberof the telephone desired, the operator takes the other of the pair of plugs and inserts it intothesocket of the combined spring-jack and annunciator belonging to that telephone, which is identical in construction with the combined spring jack and annunciator ofthe calling telephone. The balls in the raceway are in the positions shown in full'lines in Fig. 2. As the magnet of the called telephone has Vnot been energized, the top ball wouldA not fall; but it is necessary that the top ball should fall, for the reason that when the plug is pushed home it throws another ball into the upper inclined arms b3 ot the raceway, which would make two balls held by the armature, neither of which would be released to take the place of the ball just dislodged from behind the orifice c2 by the plug. To obviate this, I provide for mechanically throwing the ball by the passage of the lower ball, pushed by the plug, under the projecting bottom lug d2 of the ar- This lifts the lug Z2 and trips the ball held at the top of the armature and allows the ball to fall down on the plug to the position shown in heavydotted lines in Fig. 2. After the ball gets past thelug d2 the lug drops back and the armature is reset. The plug is of less diameter than the ball and `does not touch or atect this lug d2.

It is of course necessary that the telephone to becalled should be rung up, and this I do by pausing in inserting the plug just when the ball has arrived at a point in its passage between the projecting shoulders j'j' of the line spring-arms, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the ball arrives at this point, the annunciator connection at jjs has been broken; but the connection between the generator spring-arms and the line spring-arms, as shown in Fig. 3 in dotted lines, is established, the result of which will be to ring up the telephone called. The ball may be held or paused at this point to give a sufficient ringing on the telephone called, and then the operator pushes the plug farther in, as seen in Fig. 4, and the complete talking-circuit is made between the two subscribers through the pairof connected plugs. Another ball is pushed into the `upper inclined arm h3 of the ball-raceway and is retained by the top of the armature to restore the annunciator device.

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Q l For the Vpurpose of counting the number fof f calls kma'debythe subscribers my switchboard lembodies a registeringV device in connection with each combined annunciator and springjackv. The registering device R, as shown in Fig.V 5,'consists of'one or more interineshing toothedtwheels and a ,ratchetV mounted in a suitablecasing.

having xedupon one of its fiat sides the smaller one-,toothed wheel w'.

Arothed wl1'e el'Wl overlaps the wheel W andinter# l Vmeshes with thettooth on thoone-t'oothed wheel w; l The 'ratchet w successivelyvengages the teeth, of the wheelW, turning itin l .the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. 5. One revolution ofthe wheel W and the one-toothed` wheel w will turn the wheel lV lthe distance of one of lits. teeth in the direction shown'by the arrow, Figal.

Openings o o are cut in thefront of the register-casing, through which the numbers on the dial-wheels W1 and W are read. The ratchethas a-depending weight 102, which moves in the guideway formed -on Vthe inner wall of the casing by the side vof the casing and the partition w3. The ratchet is pivoted in bearings on top of this weight, and

, one arm projects from the side of the casing in the path of the rocker-arm, which iskeyedon the end of a shaft Pand at .rightangles thereto.' The other end of the ratchet stands Outtoward, but not in the path of, the toothed j register-wheel. vWhen the rocker-arm p is moved up, as presently explained, it engagesV the projecting end of the ratchet and turns it on its pivot, so as to place its other end lanism. The weight on the ratchet would be su fiicient ;-but'the forkinsuresthat the ratchet:

will go back to its lnormal position. The rocker-arm shaft P passes throughaY bore in the face-plate and back alongside the frame,

and bya right-angle bend p projects throughv a slot in the'side plate 'into thel balliraceway A spring into the path of the passiugball. p2 on theshaft P tends to' turn the shaft P,

'seas lto'hold the bent arm p down en topl of the top ball inthe incline b2. Suitablehangers 104 support the shaft Pand form bearings in which it turns. When the plug is inserted, it pushes the balls in the incline b2 up, and the top ball in being pushed up will pass and lift the arm p and turn the shaft P and the rockerarm p. The rocker-armp actuates the regis Y tering mechanism, as before explained.

Customarily only calling subscribers are charged; but, as before explained, theregistering mechanism is actuated upon every in The usual and well-known varrangement ,vof registering dialwheels is shown Aand consists of" the toothed wheel W5' f. sertion ofthe plug, "and hence the registers ofboth thel calling and the called subscriber would be` actuated. To obviate this, I' provide for automatically disengaging the register of the called subscriber. The casing of the register is privotedA atits upper left-hand corner to the face-plate C and isfree to swing t'o therright. Anarm. r extends. fromvits lower right-hand corner down to'a point near .the plug-orifice c2, whereit is bent in the form j vof a cam r. Suitable stops r2 rzlimit the movement ofthe casing, anda spring r4 presses'the arm-against 'the' stop r2, which is its normal position. When in this position,

the diameter ofpthe flange or collar as on the plug' used for the calling' subscriber (answering-plug, Fig. Slis; not sufficient to reach the cam r `on the arm r, and hencewill not move the register-casing.

The iajnge or collar y on the' plug used for the calledsubscriber (calling-plug, Fig. 9) is of greater diameter, and when theplug is inserted the` collar will yride down on the bevelor canir andpush'it awayV from the plug-orifice, o2, and` thereby cause the register-casing toswing to the right `on its pivot and take its 4projecting ratchet Ioutof reach of the upwardturn ofthe rockerarm p. The flange y` on the plugl used for .thev called subscriber isat such distance from the innerend ofthe plug that `the register will be disengaged just before `the balls in the incline are pushed up. vThe stop 'r2 may be in the form vof an eccentric button, so that whenlturned with its least projection toward the arm r'the cam r will be in reach of the `iiange y of the plug-used for the called subscriber. When turned with its greatest projectiou toward the arm 7', it will hold said arm .out of reach of the plug-flange. vThis is 'desirable yunder some' circumstances. 'handles 1,04 and 1'105 are fastened to the dialf v wheels and'project fromthecasing for reset- The tingthe register. VThepsprings y' on the plugs will 'supplementthe action of the oper- ,ators spring-arms toretract the plugs after the pressure on them is released; but obviously: they `may bedispensed with.

`Another feature of my invention is the pro- Vvisionvof the operators night-bell or auxiliary i signal.

Atthefrontof the vertical arm b, Fig. 2, of .the racewayl lfasten a delicate spring-plate N, whichvnormally hangs out in fthe-path of the fallingball, and under the Vhanging end of this spring-plate is fastened asimilar contact-plate N; From the upper end ofthe spring-plate N and from the cont'actplate Nwires n `o"t"lead to the operators night-bell or otherauxiliary signal, such as a monitor lamp.- Now'whe'nv the magnet is *energized and a ball is tripped the ball drops down'and presses the springplate N into con- .tact with theecontact-plate N and rings the night-bell. This spring-plate N hangs down j ust far enough to be pressed against the contact-plate N' so long as the ball just dropped rests upon the ball normally held at the bottom of the passage; butwhen the plug pushes IOO said ball out of the way the ball just dropped will be let down and allow the spring-plate N to break its contact with the plate N', and thus stop the' ringing of the night-bell.

It is obvious that in a grounded circuit one of the generators and one of the line-wires can be dispensed with in my combined annunciator and spring-jack and make the balls of conducting material, so that when the ball is held between the line-spring and generator-sprin g the circuit will be from the telephone through line-spring, across ball to generator-spring, and along connecting-wire to generator and to earth and through earth back to telephone, so that so long as the ballis held in that position that generator will ring connecting-telephone, but will not ring back through cord by reason of the diameter` of the ball being greater than the plug, so that the line-contact is not made with the plug until the ball has passed beyond the generator-strip. In night-bell or auxiliary signal circuit the balls would act as connection between two poles of springs leading to bell and battery.

In reconstructing or remodeling a switchboard which is supplied with night-bell listening-contacts and registering mechanism my combined spring-jack and annunciator Would obviously be constructed a little differently than as shown in the drawings. The rear inclined arm of the raceway Would be omitted and makethe lower arm incline to the upper arm. Only one ball would be used in such case.

I claim-m i. In a switchboard, a combined springjack and annunciator, a casing therefor, a ball-raceway a portion of which forms a plugsocket, a ball movable therein, a plug for said socket, electrical contacts located within said socket for engagement by said plug and said ball, of operators contacts adjacent and normally disconnected from the line, of means' for contacting the operators contacts with the line consisting of a spreader having a stem, spring-projected into the socket in the path of the plug, and adapted to be compressed thereby to bridge the line.

2. In a telephoneswitchboard, a springjack socket forming a ball-raceway, a ball movable therein, a plug for said jack-socket, a register device, means for operating said register device including a rocker-arm projecting at one end into said jack-socket and adapted to be operated upon the insertion of the plug.

3. Inatelephoneswitchboard,ajacksocket forming a ball-raceway, a ball movable therein, a plug for said jack-socket, a register device, means for operating said register device including a rocker-arm projecting at one end into said jack-socket and adapted to be operated upon the insertion of the plug, of means carried by the plug adapted to disconnect said register device and its operative means.

4. In a telephone-switchboard, a combined spring-jack and annunciator, a casing therefor, having an endless ball-raceway, and a multiple of plug-driven balls movable in column therein, in combination with a register device fixed to said casing, means for oper-.

ating said register by said plug-driven balls, and means carried by said plug for disengaging said register device.

5. In a telephone-switchboard, a combined spring-jack and annunciator, a casing therefor, a ball-raceway therein and plug-socket, a plug and a plug-driven ball movable in said raceway and forming a visual signal therein in combination with a register device, adapted to be operated on the insertion of said plug, of means operated by said plug for disconnecting said register.

6. In a telephone-switchboard, a combined spring-jack and annunciator, a casing therefor having an endless ball-raceway confining and guiding in column a multiple of balls, a

register device pivoted to said casing, and' means actuated by said balls to operate said register.

7. In a telephone-switchboard a combined spring-jack and annunciator, a casing therefor having an endless ball-raceway confining and guiding in column a multiple of plugdriven balls, in combination with a :register device pivoted to the face of said casing, and means for operating said register device consisting of a shaft having an arm projecting into said raceway in the path of the plugdriven balls and adapted to be successively rocked thereby, said rocker-shaft being normally connected to the register device, and means for disconnecting said shaft and register.

8. In a combined spring-jack and annunciator for telephone and like switchboards, a raceway forming a jack-socket a plug therefor a plug-driven ball movable therein, in combination with a register device and means operative by said plug for operating said register device.

In testimony whereot` I attix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HOWARD FEILD JONES.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. JoHNsoN, A. ROLAND JOHNSON.

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